Wilfried Zaha set for £12m switch to Arsenal

ARSENAL believe they have won the battle to sign Crystal Palace’s England wonderkid Wilfried Zaha.

The Gunners will open the bidding for the striker in January and a deal is expected to be struck for about £12million.

Zaha, 20, is a massive Gunners fan, and has told friends the Emirates is where he wants to go. He made his England debut in November and is being chased by a host of clubs, with Manchester City prepared to offer
around £15m, including £12m up front, and allow him to remain at
Selhurst Park on loan for the rest of the season.

Manchester United and
Liverpool also want the player rated as the most exciting young prospect
in the country.

Palace are aware of Arsenal’s
intense interest. The club placed a £20m price tag on Zaha but that is
believed to be a negotiable figure. Express Sport understands that
initial informal talks have already been held.

Palace would like to keep their prized asset for the rest of the season

Palace
would like to keep their prized asset for the rest of the season but
such is the interest in the player they may be forced to take the money
if Zaha insists he wants to go.

Gunners manager
Arsene Wenger, above, under pressure after the worst start to a season
under his leadership, is also set to bid £6m for Schalke’s Dutch striker
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Huntelaar, 29, is out of
contract at the end of the season and Wenger, a long-term admirer of the
former Ajax star, aims to get his man on a cut-price deal.

As
he bids to strengthen a seriously underperforming squad, Wenger will
also attempt to forge a loan deal for former Gunners hero Thierry Henry,
while Liverpool’s Pepe Reina tops the list of wanted goalkeepers.

But
Arsenal were dealt a blow last night as Lukas Podolski was forced to
pull out of tomorrow’s game against West Brom with a hamstring injury.